Accra: Sherif Ghali has stepped down as Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs (GCYE), concluding his 10-year leadership of the institution he founded to support young business owners across Ghana.
According to Ghana Web, Ghali established the Chamber in 2015 with just 15 entrepreneurs. Over the past decade, the organisation has grown significantly, boasting a membership of more than 19,000 young entrepreneurs. Ghali explained that his decision to leave the position was driven by a desire to make way for new leadership while pursuing other opportunities within the youth and entrepreneurship space. "A good dancer knows when to leave the stage," he remarked, indicating that the time had come for him to step aside.
Ghali emphasized that his departure did not mean he was leaving the entrepreneurship ecosystem entirely. He plans to focus more on the Ghana Youth Federation, where he is a founding member and currently serves as President. His goal is to build the Federation into a robust institution, similar to his development of the Chamber. "I built the Chamber from nothing into an institution," he stated, expressing a desire to replicate this success with the Federation.
Under Ghali's leadership, the Chamber achieved several milestones. It was registered with the Registrar General's Department in 2016, became a member of the Private Enterprise Federation in 2017, and joined the Commonwealth Alliance of Young Entrepreneurs Africa in 2018. The Chamber introduced numerous programmes to support young entrepreneurs, such as the Young Entrepreneurs and Start-ups Support Fund, the Young Female Entrepreneurs Programme, and the Students Entrepreneurs Programme (STEP), all launched in 2023.
In 2024, the Chamber opened yecSpace, a co-working facility for young entrepreneurs, followed by the National Business Agenda in 2025. The Chamber provided business development services to more than 4,000 entrepreneurs, organised over 100 training seminars nationwide, supported over 200 youth-owned businesses, and mobilised over GHS10 million for youth-focused programmes. It also played an active role in policy advocacy, including efforts that led to tax waivers for young entrepreneurs. The Chamber helped about 70% of its members access government and donor support and funding and was a prominent voice advocating for Ghana's Start-up and Innovation Bill.
Ghali's contributions to youth entrepreneurship earned him several awards, including the Young Achiever of the Year award from the Head of State in 2025, the Royal African Young Leaders Award, and the National Youth Authority's Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2024. He has participated in over 80 engagements worldwide, including a meeting with King Charles at Buckingham Palace.
Following his departure, Agnes Anyawen has assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber. Ghali noted that the transition had been planned and that he would remain available to support the new leadership. He will continue to serve on the Board of the National Youth Authority and the Ministry of Youth Advisory Board, while also serving as Chairperson of the Commonwealth Alliance of Young Entrepreneurs Africa. He will remain a member of the Chamber's Governing Council.
For the thousands of entrepreneurs who have known Ghali as the Chamber's only chief executive since its establishment, his departure marks a significant change in the organisation's history. The Chamber he leaves has grown from a small group of 15 entrepreneurs into an institution with a nationwide presence, established programmes, a strong policy record, and a membership base of more than 19,000. "The work was never about me," Ghali concluded. "It was about proving that young people in this country can build institutions, not just businesses. That is done. Now somebody else takes it further."